Athletic prolongs the spell and reaches the semifinals

Athletic maintains its idyll with the Cup by eliminating Betis in the penalty shoot-out.

The Basque team is in the semifinals thanks to the performance of its goalkeeper, Unai Simón, who stopped the shots of Canales and Juanmi.

Also thanks to an indomitable spirit that allowed him to surprise a Betis who was already in the lead up to the final.

Íñigo Martínez put a spectacular cross into the area, where Raúl García emerged in the 94th minute to make it 1-1.

Betis won 1-0 with a goal from Juanmi and Manuel Pellegrini, Betis coach, made defensive changes that had no effect.

Betis competed well and was better during many phases of the match, but they lacked packaging and certain doses of fortune.

The batch recalled magical nights in the history of the Cup between both teams, dotted with mythical names such as Esnaola, Iríbar, Doblas and, now, Unai Simón and also Sergio Canales.

Betis's best man missed his penalty.

Marcelino's team maintains its charm with this spectacular Cup edition, honored by the exciting performance of the two teams at Villamarín.

It is the epic of a singular tournament, in which Athletic moves like a fish in water.

On April 3 he will play the final of last season and can still aspire to this year's final after his suffered pass at the Verdiblanco enclosure.

Sevilla and Marcelino continue to have a very special pairing.

In this city he won the Cup with Valencia and the Super Cup just a month ago with Athletic.

Betis and Athletic decided to measure themselves to the limit in a clash marked by great equality.

The two teams have grown in 2021, well managed by two coaches who know the trade perfectly.

Pellegrini populated the center of the field with Carvalho and released Fekir.

Betis was intense, helped by the return of Guido, while Athletic was somewhat touched in their desire to impose command of the clash with the absences of Williams and Muniain.

The latter could not even sit on the bench.

The result of so much control was a match in which the two teams played not to fail, to try to manage the duel without conceding any fickleness.

BET

one

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one

ATH

BetisJoel, Juan Miranda (Emerson, min. 105), Montoya, Víctor Ruiz, Mandi, Canales, Nabil Fekir (Sidnei, min. 92), Aitor Ruibal (Juanmi, min. 73), Guido Rodríguez (Joaquín, min. 90) , William Carvalho (Tello, min. 105) and Borja Iglesias (Guarded, min. 87) AthleticUnai Simón, Yuri, Lekue (Capa, min. 77), Íñigo Martínez, Yeray, De Marcos, Vesga (Unai López, min. 87 ), Dani García (Unai Vencedor, min. 77), Berenguer (Jon Morcillo, min. 87), Villalibre (Williams, min. 66) and Raúl García

Goals1-0 min.

83: Juanmi.

1-1 min.

93: Raúl García, yellow cards Yuri (min. 38), Yeray (min. 41), Dani García (min. 47), Íñigo Martínez (min. 52), Aitor Ruibal (min. 54), Lekue (min. 71) , William Carvalho (min. 82) and Raúl García (min. 82)

It was Betis who tried to skip the rigid corset that tightened the game.

He did it, especially thanks to the speed on the band.

With Fekir and Canales covered in the middle, it was Aitor Ruibal who broke loose with two runs that created a lot of danger.

In the first, the ball reached Canales, who finished off something deviated conditioned by the hit with his right leg;

left-handed closed, the Cantabrian loses hit with the right hand.

Another center from Ruibal was finished off at the far post by Miranda.

Betis warned while Athletic followed theirs, more speculative and giving the feeling of leaving the best for the second half.

He only showed superiority from above.

Betis improved in the continuation.

Especially in the first section, with Fekir unhinging his rivals with his dribbling and driving.

In one of them, in minute 50, Yerai was able to see the second yellow and be sent off.

Betis had an option in a Channel foul, but there the momentum of an Andalusian team stopped and decided to stop.

Those were the moments in which Athletic took the opportunity to stretch.

The protagonists were his band players.

Robles saved against Yuri and De Marcos, with everything in his favor, sent a clear header off after a great center from Yuri himself from the left.

Williams came out in Athletic to threaten Betis, which, however, found the goal in a play without apparent danger.

Fekir went into the area and the rebound came to Juanmi, one of Pellegrini's changes, who finished off in a wonderful way to beat Unai Simón with a great shot.

It was the 84th minute. Athletic, desperately, found the equalizer in a great header by Raúl García in the 94th minute. Extra time was served.

Pellegrini had put Sidnei for Fekir to defend and the Brazilian defender swallowed the center of Íñigo Martínez that the Basque scorer finished off.

Fear gripped both teams and everything was decided in the penalty shootout, where Unai Simón was the main protagonist to honor the history of his club, dotted with deeds in this Cup that he loves so much.